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Ikigai: The Japanese

Secret to a Long and
Happy Life Might Just
Help You Live a More
Ful?lling Life

Thomas Oppong
Jan 10, 2018 · 4 min read

Photo by Tianshu Liu on Unsplash

In Japan, millions of people have ikigai

(pronounced Ick-ee-guy)— a reason to jump
out of bed each morning.

What’s your reason for getting up in the

morning?

The Japanese island of Okinawa, where ikigai

has its origins, is said to be home to the largest
population of centenarians in the world.

Could the concept of ikigai contribute to

longevity?

Dan Buettner, author of Blue Zones: Lessons

on Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived
the Longest, believes it does.

According to Buettner, the concept of ikigai is

not exclusive to Okinawans: “there might not
be a word for it but in all four blue zones such
as Sardinia and Nicoya Peninsula, the same
concept exists among people living long lives.”

Buettner suggests making

three lists: your values,
things you like to do, and
things you are good at.
The cross section of the
three lists is your ikigai.
Studies show that losing one’s purpose can
have a detrimental ePect.

American mythologist and author Joseph

Campbell once said, “My general formula for
my students is “Follow your bliss.” Find where
it is, and don’t be afraid to follow it.”

“Your ikigai is at the intersection of what you

are good at and what you love doing,” says
Hector Garcia, the co-author of Ikigai: The
Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life. He
writes,“Just as humans have lusted after
objects and money since the dawn of time,
other humans have felt dissatisfaction at the
relentless pursuit of money and fame and have
instead focused on something bigger than their
own material wealth. This has over the years
been described using many diPerent words and
practices, but always hearkening back to the
central core of meaningfulness in life.”

Image: Toronto Star

ikigai is seen as the convergence of four

primary elements:

What you love (your passion)

What the world needs (your mission)

What you are good at (your vocation)

What you can get paid for (your profession)

Discovering your own ikigai is said to bring

fulYlment, happiness and make you live longer.

Want to 8nd your Ikigai? Ask yourself the

following four questions:

1. What do I love?

2. What am I good at?

3. What can I be paid for now — or something

that could transform into my future hustle?

4. What does the world need?

In their book Ikigai The Japanese Secret to a

Long and Happy Life, Hector Garcia and
Francesc Miralles break down the ten rules
that can help anyone Ynd their own ikigai.

1. Stay active and don’t retire

2. Leave urgency behind and adopt a slower

pace of life

3. Only eat until you are 80 per cent full

4. Surround yourself with good friends

5. Get in shape through daily, gentle exercise

6. Smile and acknowledge people around you

7. Reconnect with nature

8. Give thanks to anything that brightens our

day and makes us feel alive.

9. Live in the moment

10. Follow your ikigai

What you deeply care about can

unlock your ikigai
Follow your curiosity.

Philosopher and civil rights leader Howard W

Thurman said, “Ask what makes you come
alive and go do it.” … “Don’t ask what the
world needs. Ask what makes you come alive,
and go do it. Because what the world needs is
people who have come alive.”

The problem for millions of people is that they

stop being curious about new experiences as
they assume responsiblities and build routines.

Their sense of wonder starts to escape them.

But you can change that, especially if you are

still looking for meaning and fulYlment in what
you do daily.

Albert Einstein encourages us to pursue our

curiosities. He once said:

“Don’t think about why you question, simply

don’t stop questioning. Don’t worry about what
you can’t answer, and don’t try to explain what
you can’t know. Curiosity is its own reason.
Aren’t you in awe when you contemplate the
mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous
structure behind reality? And this is the
miracle of the human mind — to use its
constructions, concepts, and formulas as tools
to explain what man sees, feels and touches.
Try to comprehend a little more each day. Have
holy curiosity.”

A classic example is Steve Jobs’ curiosity for

typefaces which led him to attend a seemingly
useless class on typography and to develop his
design sensibility.

Later, this sensibility became an essential part

of Apple computers and Apple’s core
diPerentiator in the market.

We are born curious. Our insatiable drive to

learn, invent, explore, and study deserves to
have the same status as every other drive in our
lives.

FulYlment is fast becoming the main priority

for most of us. Millions of people still struggle
to Ynd what they are meant to do. What excites
them. What makes them lose the sense of time.
What brings out the best in them.

“Our intuition and curiosity are very powerful

internal compasses to help us connect with our
ikigai,” Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles
write.

What is the one simple thing you could do or

be today that would be an expression of your
ikigai?

Find it and pursue it with all you have,

anything less is not worth your limited time on
planet earth.

Before you go…

If you enjoyed this post, you will love Postanly
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WRITTEN BY
Thomas Oppong
Founder @AllTopStartups | Featured at Forbes,
Business Insider, etc. | Join my personal newsletter
for life and career tools at
https://postanly.substack.com

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